Rackmount appliance for server and rack liquid management and water control policy execution

1. A Rack Information Handling System (RIHS) comprising: a rack having chassis-receiving bays; more than one liquid cooled (LC) node containing heat-generating functional components, each LC node configured with a system of conduits to receive cooling liquid to regulate the ambient temperature of the node and provide cooling to the functional components inside the node by removing heat generated by the heat-generating functional components; a liquid control subsystem comprising electrically-actuated control valves to selectively distribute cooling liquid to one or more LC node that each have a chassis received in a respective chassis-receiving bay of the rack; one or more liquid sensors to detect a parameter corresponding to a flow rate associated with the liquid control subsystem; and a liquid controller communicatively coupled to the electrically-actuated control valves and the one or more liquid sensors that determines a rack-level liquid event based at least in part on the parameter and communicates to any LC node that is affected by the rack-level liquid event.

2. The RIHS of claim 1 , further comprising: a rack filtration unit (RFU), which includes the liquid controller and further comprises: a node chassis insertable into the rack of the RIHS; a first filtration subunit that is configured to filter particulates from the cooling liquid; a second filtration subunit that is configured to filter contaminants from the cooling liquid; a liquid coolant diversion network that diverts liquid flow serially through the first and second filtration subunits; and at least one supply port and at least one return port positioned on an inserted side of the node chassis to seal respectively to a facility supply conduit and a rail supply conduit of a liquid rail for supply liquid transfer.

3. The RIHS of claim 1 , further comprising: a rack filtration unit (RFU), which includes the liquid controller and further comprises: a node chassis insertable into the rack of the RIHS; first and second filtration subunits connected in parallel fluid communication within the node chassis, wherein each filtration subunit is individually disengageable from the node chassis for maintenance or replacement, while the other filtration subunit remains engaged in the node chassis and continues liquid filtration; a liquid coolant diversion network that diverts liquid flow to the other filtration subunit for continuous filtration of contaminants and particulates from the cooling liquid received from the facility supply conduit when one filtration subunit is removed; and at least one supply port and at least one return port positioned on an inserted side of the node chassis to seal respectively to a facility supply conduit and a rail supply conduit of a liquid rail for supply liquid transfer.

4. The RIHS of claim 3 , wherein: the one or more liquid sensors comprise: a first flow rate sensor that detects a first flow rate of a first liquid flow to the first filtration subunit by the liquid coolant diversion network; a second flow rate sensor that detects a second flow rate of a second liquid flow to the second filtration subunit by the liquid coolant diversion network; a first and second differential pressure sensor that respectively detect a differential pressure value across the first and second filtration subunits; and the liquid controller is communicatively coupled with at least one of (i) the first and second flow rate sensors and (ii) the differential pressure sensors to determine and communicate an operating status of the first and second filtration subunits based on one or more of (a) the first and second flow rates and (b) the differential pressure value from each differential pressure sensor.

5. The RIHS of claim 4 , wherein the liquid controller of the RFU: determines whether a selected one of the first and second flow rates is less than a next one of the flow rates by at least a threshold amount; and in response to determining that the selected one of the first and second flow rates is less than the next flow rate by at least a threshold amount that is indicative of a localized blockage, communicates that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a degraded status.

6. The RIHS of claim 5 , wherein, for a selected one of the first and second filtration subunits, the liquid controller: determines whether the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value; and in response to determining that the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to the second threshold, communicates that a corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a critical status.

7. The RIHS of claim 6 , further comprising: at least one light indicator communicatively coupled to the liquid controller; and wherein the liquid controller: communicates that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a normal status by triggering the at least one light indicator to illuminate in a first color; communicates that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a degraded status by the triggering the at least one light indicator to illuminate in a second color; and communicates that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a critical status by the triggering the at least one light indicator to illuminate in a third color.

8. The RIHS of claim 4 , wherein the liquid controller of the RFU: for a selected one of the first and second filtration subunits, determines whether the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to a first threshold value associated with a corresponding one of the first and second flow rates; and in response to determining that the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to the first threshold, communicates that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a degraded status.

9. The RIHS of claim 3 , wherein: the RFU further comprises: an electrically-actuated purge valve in fluid communication with the liquid coolant diversion network; and a user input device that receives a user input; and the liquid controller is communicatively coupled with the electrically-actuated purge valve and the user input device, and the liquid controller: receives the user input to the user input device; and in response to receiving the user input, actuates the electrically-actuated purge valve to release fluid pressure from a portion of the liquid coolant diversion network to facilitate removal of a selected one of the first and second filtration subunits.

10. The RIHS of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary power source electrically coupled to the liquid controller to perform one of a diagnostic and a leak test of the liquid cooling subsystem with rack electrical power removed from the LC nodes.

11. The RIHS of claim 1 , wherein the liquid controller: performs a diagnostic test for each solenoid valve of the liquid cooling subsystem during activation of and prior to full power-on of the RIHS: commands a selected solenoid valve to one of an open and closed state; senses whether the selected solenoid valve is in the commanded state; commands the selected solenoid valve to the other of the open and closed state; senses whether the selected solenoid valve is in the other commanded state; and logs the sensed states of the selected solenoid valve.

12. The RIHS of claim 11 , wherein the liquid controller performs the diagnostic test for each dynamic control valve of the liquid cooling system, wherein the liquid controller: commands the selected dynamic control valve to one dynamic position in a range between open and closed; senses a first flow rate of the selected dynamic control valve; commands the selected dynamic control valve to another dynamic position in the range between open and closed; senses a second flow rate of the selected dynamic control valve; and logs the sensed first and second flow rates of the selected dynamic control valve.

13. The RIHS of claim 1 , wherein: the one or more liquid sensors comprise one or more liquid detection sensor positioned to respectively receive liquid that leaks from sealed connections or conduit runs of the liquid cooling subsystem; and the liquid controller performs a leak test of the liquid cooling system, wherein the liquid controller: opens all electrically-actuated control valves; identifies whether any of the one or more liquid detection sensors detects liquid; and logs a result of the leak test.

14. A method of managing rack-level liquid cooling events in a Rack Information Handling System (RIHS), the method comprising: electrically-actuating control valves of a liquid control subsystem to selectively distribute cooling liquid to one or more liquid cooled (LC) nodes each comprising a chassis received in a respective chassis-receiving bay of a rack, wherein the cooling liquid is received by a system of conduits of each LC node to regulate the ambient temperature of the LC node and to provide cooling to heat-generating functional components inside the LC node by removing heat generated by the functional components; detecting, by one or more liquid sensors, a parameter corresponding to a flow rate associated with the liquid control subsystem; determining, by a liquid controller of the liquid control subsystem, a rack-level liquid event based at least in part on the parameter; and communicating to any LC node that is affected by the rack-level liquid event.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein: detecting, by the one or more liquid sensors, the parameter of the liquid control subsystem comprises: detecting, by a first flow rate sensor, a first flow rate of a first liquid flow to a first filtration subunit of a rack filtration unit (RFU) by a liquid coolant diversion network; detecting, by a second flow rate sensor, a second flow rate of a second liquid flow to a second filtration subunit of the RFU by the liquid coolant diversion network; detecting, by first and second differential pressure sensors, a differential pressure value respectively across the first and second filtration subunits; determining, by a liquid controller, an operating status of the first and second filtration subunits based on one or more of (i) the first and second flow rates and (ii) the differential pressure value from each differential pressure sensor; and communicating the operating status.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: determining, by the liquid controller, whether a selected one of the first and second flow rates is less than the other flow rate by at least a threshold amount; and in response to determining that the selected one of the first and second flow rates is less than the other flow rate by at least a threshold amount that is indicative of a localized blockage, communicating, by the liquid controller, that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a degraded status.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: for a selected one of the first and second filtration subunits, determining whether the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to a first threshold value associated with a corresponding one of the first and second flow rates; and in response to determining that the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to the first threshold, communicating that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a degraded status.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising: determining for a selected one of the first and second filtration subunits whether the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value; and in response to determining that the measured differential pressure value is at least equal to the second threshold, communicating that a corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a critical status.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising: communicating that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a normal status by triggering the at least one light indicator to illuminate in a first color; communicating that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a degraded status by the triggering the at least one light indicator to illuminate in a second color; and communicating that the corresponding one of the first and second filtration subunits has a critical status by the triggering the at least one light indicator to illuminate in a third color.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising: receiving a user input to a user input device; and in response to receiving the user input, actuating an electrically-actuated purge valve to release fluid pressure from a portion of the liquid coolant diversion network to facilitate removal of a selected one of the first and second filtration subunits.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising performing a diagnostic test for each solenoid valve of the liquid cooling subsystem during activation of and prior to full power-on of the RIHS by: commanding a selected solenoid valve to one of an open and closed state; sensing whether the selected solenoid valve is in the commanded state; commanding the selected solenoid valve to the other of the open and closed state; sensing whether the selected solenoid valve is in the other commanded state; and logging the sensed states of the selected solenoid valve.

22. The method of claim 15 , further performing a diagnostic test for each dynamic control valve of the liquid cooling system by: commanding the selected dynamic control valve to one dynamic position in a range between open and closed; sensing a first flow rate of the selected dynamic control valve; commanding the selected dynamic control valve to another dynamic position in the range between open and closed; sensing a second flow rate of the selected dynamic control valve; and logging the sensed first and second flow rates of the selected dynamic control valve.

23. The method of claim 15 , performing a leak test of the liquid cooling system by: opening all electrically-actuated control valves; identifying whether any of one or more liquid detection sensors positioned to respectively receive liquid that leaks from sealed connections or conduit runs of the liquid cooling subsystem detects liquid senses a presence of liquid.